The FBI arrested Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley on misdemeanour charges for participating in the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot after conducting a raid at his home in Allendale.
Mara Schneider, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Detroit, confirmed to the Detroit Free Press that federal agents executed a search warrant at Mr Kelley's home and later took him into custody on Thursday.
Ms Schneider reportedly did not provide further details of the arrest, which came just hours before the House select committee investigating the insurrection will convene its first hearing.
According to The Detroit News, Mr Kelley is facing four charges, including knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct’ knowingly engaging in any act of physical violence against person or property in a restricted building or grounds; willfully injuring or committing depredation against property of the US.
If convicted, he faces a maximum punishment of up to 10 years in federal prison.
Images of Mr Kelley at the Capitol riot emerged shortly after the event. According to Birdge Michigan, a nonprofit newsroom, Mr Kelley allegedly scaled the scaffolding around the Capitol, helped other riots to displace police barricades and goaded other rioters toward the building.
“At approximately 2:20 p.m., Kelley continued to gesture to the crowd, consistently indicating that they should move towards the stairs that led to the entrance of the U.S. Capitol interior spaces,” the FBI complaint reads.
The revelation of his involvement resulted in public calls for his resignation from his role as a member of the Annandale Township Planning Commission. He laid low for about a month before reemerging and refusing to comment on his alleged involvement in the attack.
According to federal documents, a tipster calling themselves “Kate” called the FBI on 19 February, 2021 and identified Mr Kelley in numerous photos taken the day of the riot.
Another informant working with the FBI in Michigan to identify domestic terror groups also identified Mr Kelley to the agency.
Mr Kelley is a well documented MAGA Republican with ties to right wing gangs. According to WOOD8TV, community members called for him to step down in 2020 after he invited members of a right wing gang to help counter racial justice protesters that summer. He called Black Lives Matter a “terrorist organisation.”
The candidate hopes to carry the Republican banner into the Michigan governor’s race later this year.
The state’s primary elections will take place on 2 August. Mr Kelley has been leading the polls in the Republican race with a 4-point lead over his closest competitor, according to a Target Insyght/Michigan RIS poll conducted between 26 May and 27 May.
If he is successful, he will take on Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Hours after Mr Kelley’s arrest, the House January 6 select committee was set to hold its first of six public hearings where lawmakers will lay out key findings from their investigation into the insurrection.
